Myosotidium
by Marciac Moon
Summary: She never thought that she would forget anyone in Fairy Tail. But she didn't have a say in the matter.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Hello! This is my first fanfiction. I'm in a rut for the book I'm writing, so I thought I'd try something new. Please feel free to review, I'd love feedback! And if you'd like to see any ships or anything let me know. This is NaLu centric, fluff and angst stuff, with a plot to go along with it. This is a side project, and I won't necessarily be updating regularly. I do have the entire plot written out, and it should end up being six chapters and an epilogue (I may break up chapters I have planned out if I feel they get too lengthy). This first chapter is pretty short though. Enjoy!**

It was very dark. A bland, but true fact. The dark was at times cold, but it seemed to be warm for the most part. The cold moments were most unpleasant.

Her stomach was lurching. It was difficult to breath with the substantial panic that swarmed around. It changed the air into a thick syrup that she had to choke down. Freezing fingers were touching a point at her neck. Voices overlapped loudly in her head, but not one of them was distinct. As the cold fingers wrapped her in cotton and poked her arm, a click sounded in her head.

 _Lucy? Can you hear me? Are you able to respond?_

Lucy? Was somebody stuck inside of her? Someone was trying to get Lucy out? That didn't seem possible. Was she Lucy? The voices began to clear up.

"... she's conscious in there, but something's not right. My telepathy can't..."

"... rry! I should've caught her, I didn't realize there was a cliff! I'm so …"

Why did that man sound so sad? Why was everyone worried? Maybe there really was a person stuck inside of her. The mystery of these strangers was none of her concern though. She let her confusion slip away as the warmth of the darkness started surrounding her again. Who needed to pay attention to their story when they had interrupted her sleep? Wait, were they in her bedroom? It didn't matter. She was too exhausted, feeling like she had just run a marathon. Her head was beginning to ache as the voices started fading.

"... Gray, there was no … have known…"

"... still my fault … just like… "

"...t's important... is safe now… should inform Na - "

"... rate is dropping…. everyone out ..."

There was a shuffling noise, but then the voices were completely gone. She felt weak from the encounter, but she was so tired. Cobwebs started filling her mind. She just wanted to rest, and drifting off to sleep seemed more and more like a fantastic idea...

" _Lucy!"_

The anguished howl and a flicker of recognition caused her eyes to shoot open. It barely lasted a second, though. The darkness was gone, and the light was too much. She saw a flash of red and gray before she shut her eyes again. It was too late to realize her mistake, though. Fire encompassed her entire body, and she gasped as the pain took her.

" _No! I'm sorry I wasn't there, Lucy, just hang in there! You're going to be fine, you have to be fine! Lucy - Erza, let me go!"_

"I need to put her to sleep; the head injury will be too much for her to bare consciously."

" _Don't let her die, Wendy! If you let her die, I'll - "_

"Erza, please take him out of the infirmary."

"Come on, Natsu."

" _No! Lucy! Lucy! Don't leave me, Lucy! Please! Gray, you ba-"_

His voice was muffled by something. She was in too much pain to think of anything else at the moment.

But then suddenly, the burning was dulled. The darkness was back to it's usual warmth, and she exhaled in relief.

"Are you there… Lucy?"

* * *

The warm darkness was her favorite. A lot of the time, there was a concentrated heat in her hand, even in the cold. Even now. Something was making her eyes flash toxic reds and yellows, disturbing the pleasant cool she was in. It was irritating, and no matter how much she tried to wish it away, it stayed.

So, despite the cold, she opened her eyes. Warm sunlight drifted onto the bed she had been laying in, the perpetrator of her annoyance. She looked around the room curiously. It was obviously an infirmary, a number of beds surrounding hers , which was in the corner. Her eyes drifted along the walls until they came to rest at the man sitting beside her.

He appeared to be sleeping, head of pink hair hiding the majority of his face and sharp features. The heat in her hand was coming from him, both palms clamped around her delicate fingers. She didn't recognize who he was, but he seemed familiar. As if his name was on the tip of her tongue.

Her gaze didn't stay on him for long as she felt a dryness in her throat. Looking around, she saw no sign of water, no button to press and call a nurse. She huffed. Figures, it'd be her luck to get injured in a town that didn't have a halfway decent hospital (though she'd admit, the room was rather quaint).

Gently pulling her hand out of the sleeping man's grasp, she rose to her feet. The door at the other end of the room seemed promising. There were no shoes for her, but she didn't care. She stumbled at first, having to use the beds to maintain her balance as she walked towards the door. The sound of chatting behind it made her nervous. Where was she? Was she in some kind of shared home? Why couldn't she remember? Before immediately heading out of the room, she walked around to get the feeling back in her toes. She didn't want to trip on her own feet in front of strangers and make a fool of herself. _How long have I been here? How long have I been asleep?_

When she trusted her walking skills again, she stepped through the door. It made an unfortunately loud creak as she closed it, effectively quieting the comforting murmuring she had heard not two seconds ago. The latch clicked loudly, accentuating the silence. The woman turned, feeling the entire room's gaze on her. The first thing she noticed was the wide variety of people. No two persons looked close to the same, and everybody was distinguishable at first glance. There was an incredibly large man with hair that looked like a scorpion. Next to him, a built, terrifying man with multiple face piercings was holding the hand of a much more delicate woman with blue hair and a huge smile on her face. This couldn't have been her family, right? Surely she would recognize her own father, after he…

After he...

... Wait, who was her father? Who was _she?!_

A loud call from a woman with deep brown, flowing hair interrupted the panic that started to seed itself into her mind, "Lucy's awake!"

The room erupted into cheers, people clinked their mugs together and drank, and someone loudly proclaimed, "How manly!"

Before she knew it, two people had made their way over to her, a redhead woman in armor and a shirtless man, an odd blue tattoo on his chest. The woman spoke first, her voice deep, "Lucy, I'm glad to see you awake, and without much sign of the fall. How are you feeling?" She was sudden wrapped in a bone crushing hug.

"...Lucy." She whispered. That was her name.

"Yeah, you had me worried for a second there," The man replied, despite her not answering the question. He put a hand on her shoulder, a fleeting look of guilt washing over his face, "Look, I'm sorry I didn't jump after you. I thought you were launched at level ground, with fresh snow. I didn't… I didn't realize it was a cliff."

As he turned his head in shame, Lucy (her own name seemed so foreign) spotted a woman with oddly curled blue hair glaring daggers at her. She flinched, but looked back at the man in front of her, "Uhh…" She didn't know what to say to this guilty stranger, "Listen, I don't… remember… are you… are we friends?"

The man tilted his head to the side curiously, "Yeah, Lucy, we've been friends pretty much since you got here. What's the matter? I know I kind of dropped the ball, but I didn't think you'd want to end our friendship over it."

She bit her lip, looking from the man, to the redhead, then to the floor. Cheers were still sounding behind them at her awakening, a sort of line forming to greet her as the crowd neared, "I don't… I can't remember anything… You said my name is Lucy?"

The woman took her turn to look thoroughly confused, but the man seemed to wash over with realization, "Oh, no. Your head…"

He moved to face the rest of the people behind them. Lucy turned to the redhead, intent on asking her where they were when something interrupted them.

" _Lucy!"_ She turned, seeing the doors of the infirmary flying shut with as much force as they had been opened with. In front of them stood the man who she had woken up next to. The relief on his face was as clearer than crystal. Was this her brother? Or perhaps a cousin? He seemed more excited than everyone else.

"Lucy!" He called again, sparking a connection in her mind. She'd heard him say her name before.

She looked at him blankly, "Hello," He began taking steps towards her. Pushing out her hand to shake his, she took a deep breath, "What's your na-"

"Natsu, wait!"

Her words were cut off as the man pressed his lips against her own. He was soft and warm, rough hands placed on her cheeks. His joy was radiating from him like a bright beacon, making her feel uneasy. She was certain she would have relished in the feeling of the kiss, had she had the slightest inkling as to who he was.

She didn't break contact with him, but it came to his attention that she wasn't returning his gesture. He pulled away, hands retreating from her body. A wolfish grin adorned his face, and one of his hands scratched the back of his head, "S-sorry, Luce, I'm just so happy to see you awake."

Her face showed no emotion, making the man's smile falter, "You don't need to apologize, but… I'm sorry, who are you?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: Yay chapter 2! I decided to keep the chapters fairly short, as I don't want too many different things happening in a chapter. Let me know if you feel otherwise, though, because I do have the other intended half of this chapter written and can upload it before starting on the third chapter. Also, as a note, this story takes place post GMG. Read and review! Thanks**

The warmth of the golden key in her hand felt so natural. Even the words she spoke seemed as normal as breathing to her.

" _Open, Gate of the Virgin! Virgo!_ "

A bright flash of gold and a doorbell preceded one of her friends making the trip from the Celestial Spirit World. The pink haired maid stood before her, materializing in front of her. Lucy was still amazed that she could summon people from her keys.

"Excellent work, Princess. I can verify the improvement Leo spoke of," The spirit said to her, face blank and voice monotonous, "Would you like to punish me?"

Lucy nearly choked. Each spirit had a quip, but she was still having a hard time getting used to them, "No, no! I don't! I actually wanted you to join me in another sparring match."

Virgo glanced over to the small crowd watching. Lucy took the time to do so as well. Gray, Erza, Levy, and Happy were smiling at the blonde. After recovering from her injuries, they had agreed to help her hone her skills to where they used to be.

" _Hmm, so you don't remember anything at all? Not even your spirits?" Erza, the redhead woman had asked. Her sharp eyes were sizing Lucy up, making her feel uncomfortable under her gaze._

 _Lucy glanced down at the keychain in the palm of her hand. There were fifteen total on it, each representing a different personality. She swallowed, shaking her head, "If I didn't know any better, I would've thought these were for doors."_

 _Gray sighed, running a hand through his hair as he discarded his jacket, "Well, do you remember how to use them? Or how to fight?"_

" _What makes you think I'd remember that and not my friends?!" She snapped at him._

 _A few feet away from the group, Natsu laughed, "Heh! I guess we'll just have to help her get back to it again. Maybe we can teach you to fight with your fists, too!"_

And so, they had started training. Lucy would summon a spirit, who would then spar with her. Erza and Gray would advise her on her technique, and they worked from there. The spirits seemed to know about her situation, subtly attempting to jog her memory. Aquarius seemed to be trying the hardest ("I'm glad you're not summoning me in baths anymore, but _**really?!**_ A muddy puddle of day old rainwater?!).

Shaking the thoughts out of her head, Lucy's eye wandered over to the man sitting under the tree a good thirty feet away. Natsu. The one who had kissed her a month ago. He was clearly watching with as much interest as Gray and Erza, but rarely commented on how she was doing. It made her uncomfortable, really, but she didn't blame him. He always acted pleasant around her, was never awkward, and didn't seem upset at all that she didn't reciprocate his feelings. The part that made her uncomfortable was everyone else reacting to them. The guild members frequently shot them pitying glances when they were together. Even now, Gray kept turning his head to the side to glance at Natsu, as if he were going to burst into tears.

He didn't strike her as the kind of person to do that.

"As you wish, Princess. I will follow your instructions from our previous match."

With that, both women crouched into fighting stances. Lucy kept a hand on her whip, the other balled in a fist at her side as she waited for Virgo to make the first move. When the expressionless spirit didn't budge an inch, the Celestial mage went on the attack. Her whip shot out at the other's wrists, but Virgo deflected it easily. The maid came at her with a punch, and Lucy was able to smoothly flow around it. The momentum of her fist left her open. The blonde grabbed Virgo's wrist, using her inertia to flip her onto her back.

Lucy smiled. It was the quickest she had been able to take down one of her spirits, even though they were going easy on her, "Excellent work, Princess. I can see you've improved."

"Thanks," She replied, "Are you hurt?" When her spirit shook her head, Lucy's smile grew wider as she extended her hand, "Great, then let's keep going!"

Her eyes glanced over to the tree again. His eyes were trained on her, as they were every time she looked over. Usually, Natsu failed to realize when she stole moments to gaze at him. When he did notice, though, he'd give her a fanged grin and the occasional thumbs up.

"Lucy!" Erza's low voice cut to them, "That was good, but make sure to keep an eye out for multiple hits. Had Virgo thrown a punch with her other fist as well, you would have failed to take her down."

Lucy nodded as she pulled Virgo up from the ground, and they were at it again. It went on like this for another hour. She did her best not to let the eyes on the back of her head distract her. Though Virgo clearly gained the upper hand as they went, Lucy didn't back down, and by the time they were finished, she was exhausted.

The sun was setting while both women laid flat on the ground, "Thank you, Virgo. You can go home now."

"Of course, Princess." She disappeared in a sparkle of golden light.

"Nice work today, Lucy," Gray said, tossing her a bottle of water before sitting next to her, "Maybe we can start going on jobs again soon."

Despite her general lack of enthusiasm, this made her start. A job, finally? She'd wanted to go on one ever since being retaught about the Fairy Tail guild. Before the grin could begin to form on her face, she was interrupted, "Absolutely not. She needs to train more." This made Lucy jolt into a sitting position.

"Oh, come on Erza!" Levy replied, brimming with positivity, "She barely had any experience when she got here two years ago! And even if she can't exactly remember everything, she's still excelling. It's clear her muscle memory is in play."

"I refuse. Despite her strength, she is still weakened by the damage of her fall. I refuse to put my friend in any more danger than she needs to be."

"Hey, I'm not a kid!" Lucy retorted, rising to her feet, a scowl decorating her face, "Besides, you'd be in just as much danger as me!"

"True, but you are at a higher risk for injury, considering you have not yet fully recovered from - "

"Nah, I think it's a great idea," His voice spoke from behind, his elbow on her shoulder as he leaned against her, "It's not like we have to go on a super hard job or anything!"

"Aye!" cried Happy, "She doesn't even look fat anymore!"

"I'm not fat, you stupid cat!" Lucy narrowed her eyes, but nodded, "Natsu's right. We can do something simple, like body guarding, or moving, even. I'm ready to be a part of this guild!"

Erza took them in. Everyone seemed determined that Lucy was ready, so she nodded her head, "Alright, fine. But _I_ choose the mission, and we're all going with you."

"Yay!" Lucy cheered, clapping her hands together, "Let's go pick one now!"

* * *

"Huuuuuurgh…." Groaned the man next to her. His face was extremely pale, and he seemed to be breaking out a sweat.

"What's wrong with him?" Lucy asked as the scenery out the window flew by.

"He gets really motion sick," Happy explained, looking as cheery as ever.

She raised an eyebrow, "Then why didn't we walk?"

"The village is quite far away. It will take us mere hours to get there by train instead of a week on foot." Erza's reply was stern, if annoyed.

"Yeah, and flame for brains always loses it when he hops on anything that moves."

Lucy scowled, watching him slump over onto her shoulder, "You're not going to puke on me, are you?"

A groan was all she received in reply before his head fell on her lap. Once it was obvious he wasn't about to move, she sighed. Gray was looking out the window, and Erza was staring at Natsu. Lucy cleared her throat quietly, "So how long have we all known each other?"

Erza looked up and smiled softly, "Natsu, Gray and I have known each other since we were children. You joined the guild about two years ago, and we've all been friends since."

She tilted her head to the side, "How did we all become a team? I know Lisanna was friends with you since childhood, right? Why me and not her?"

Gray chuckled, "Lisanna went missing for a while. But even before that, she was always on a team with her siblings, as she is now. You met Natsu first. He couldn't stop talking about you when he first got home. The two of you went on jobs together, and eventually Erza and I joined you."

Lucy felt herself freeze up, "That's… nice. What about my family? Nobody's contacted them yet? Or are they members of Fairy Tail, too?"

Erza pursed her lips, "Lucy… I'm sorry, but your parents are both deceased. You have no siblings."

Lucy's eyes snapped wide open. Though she was was stunned, it was hard to feel upset about people she didn't remember, "I see. So I don't have any family left?"

"You've got us." Gray said casually.

"Oh. That's sweet.," Lucy smiled as a rosy blush filled her cheeks, "What happened to the - "

"HUUR-" Natsu face bulged, and Lucy removed her hands from his head. She hadn't realized she'd been stroking his hair, and her fingers missed the soft feeling.

"He's gonna throw up!" Happy cried.

"Ew!" Lucy replied, hoisting him up. She quickly shimmied him out of the seat and into the hall.

"Where are you going?" Gray asked.

"I'm taking him outside so he doesn't puke all over my clothes!"

Natsu was wary enough to help himself as well, and together they made it out of the train car and into the railing between cabins. His stomach emptied next to the speeding tracks seconds later, his clammy hands fixed on the train railing. Lucy hesitated before rubbing his back gently. He seemed to be done expelling the contents of his stomach and remained silent for a few moments, "Urrgh, thanks Lucy. This feels nice."

She found herself blushing again, which made her flinch, "Yeah. Are you alright?"

He moaned slightly, "Yeah. Trains aren't even the worst."

She cringed at the thought of seeing him sicker than this. A few more moments of silence passed, Lucy's hand still gentle on Natsu's back. She could feel how much warmer he was than the cool autumn wind that whipped by. They had told her he was a fire Dragon Slayer, the Salamander. Maybe he produced extra body heat because of that? She could remember how hot his lips had been on hers when they had kissed.

That thought made Lucy's face flush, and she turned away from him in embarrassment (not that he was looking). It did raise a question, though. One she had neglected to ask yet, "Natsu, why did you kiss me? When I woke up?"

Still hunched over, he remained quiet. Lucy tilted her head to the side to get a better look at him. Finally, he glanced back up at her, dark eyes giving her chills. He smiled, "Because, Lucy, you're my best friend. When Gray brought you back from the job, you were bleeding pretty badly. Wendy did everything she could, but she told me she didn't think you weren't going to wake up." He frowned a little, and a small burp escaped his lips, "So, I guess I was just really happy when you did. Kinda went on instinct from there."

Lucy gave him a bright smile, but Natsu barely caught it as he leaned over the railing and threw up again. She rolled her eyes, but her smile remained as did her hand, "Sorry I'm making you stay out here." He groaned.

Her eyes turned back to the environment whipping by them quickly, "I don't mind. You're not making me do anything."

They remained there for the rest of the train ride.=, Lucy rubbing Natsu's back as he held his head in the wind.

* * *

It was an hour trek from the train station to the forest. Once they arrived, the mayor explained things to Erza, alone. The group waited rather impatiently outside of his house for her. The minutes ticked by until a few children who were playing not far away took notice to them. More specifically, to their tattoos.

"Hey! You're from Fairy Tail, aren't you!" One of the older boys said.

"Yeah, they won the Grand Magic Games!"

"Look, it's really Happy!"

"Yup, and I have the wings to prove it!" The blue cat took to the air, the children cooing in awe.

"You're the Natsu Dragon Slayer right?"

"Heheh, yeah that's me kid!" He replied with a fanged grin.

Lucy smiled as they flocked towards Natsu, "Wow, that's so cool! I can't believe you took down the Twin Dragonsla - ahhhh why is he taking his shirt off?!" The little girl cried, eyes staring in horror as she pointed to Gray.

" _DAMN IT!"_

The youngest boy walked over to the Celestial Mage, tugging on her sleeve, "Miss Lucy, are you going to get rid of the bandits?"

"Bandits?" She asked, tearing her eyes from Natsu and glancing to the child.

All the children's faces fell. The eldest girl spoke, "Yeah. Not too long ago, a bandit group moved into the forest and started raiding our village. We make a lot of money from the mines, but we don't have a lot of people to protect us. That's why the mayor sent out a request."

"I don't want them to hurt my papa again." The little boy at her arm said with a wobbly voice. Soon, he broke out into tears.

Lucy put a hand on his head, smiling softly, "Don't worry, we'll take care of those rotten bandits!"

"Yeah, I'm all fired up now!" The kids laughed at Natsu's outburst.

"Indeed," Erza said, stepping out of the mayor's house. Her armor glinted in the sunlight, "And if they're attacking every night as I'm told, I think we should get going now."

"Aye, sir! Lead the way!" Happy cried. With that, the cat fell out of the sky and directly in front of Lucy. She jumped back a foot, startled, "Owwwww, Luuuushi, you're supposed to catch me…"

"What?!" She snarled back, glaring at the Exceed who was rubbing his bum, "You could've said something like 'hey, catch me', or maybe even 'incoming'!"

He grumbled on the ground, "Old Lucy would've caught me…"

She felt the anger burst out of her. Her eyes widened, startled and upset as she felt her heart crack. She couldn't believe what he'd just said. It was almost as if he was blaming her for something she didn't remember doing. For something _she_ didn't do, "Well, I'm sorry for your loss!" She hissed venomously. Lucy wanted to yell at the stupid cat some more, but she figured her point was across. She turned back to Erza, the fire still in her eyes, "Let's get going, please!"

The scarlet requip mage nodded quickly. She'd never seen Lucy so angry, and her words made Erza want to cry. However, she would deal with the blonde and her hurtful words later. For now, she began walking to the edge of the village. The Celestial mage followed close behind.

"Why's Lucy so meeeean?" Happy cried as Natsu picked him up.

" _I heard that!"_

Gray clicked his tongue, "It probably would've been fine if you hadn't insulted her."

Natsu patted his cat's head, watching his best friend stomping away from them "Let her figure it out," He muttered, "I just hope she comes back to us soon."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Here's the third chapter! Let me know what you like/dislike by reviewing. Enjoy!**

They approached the bandit camp carefully. It was clear that the thugs had moved in recently: there were tents instead of buildings, and only a dozen at most. They lined the clearing, leaving a large, unlit fire pit in the middle. There was one building at the opposite end of the clearing. It was a dirt hut, seemingly dug out from the hill that loomed behind it. The sun was just beginning to set, and men and women gathered around the center of the pseudo-village while brandishing weapons, "This will be easy. Don't overdo it," Erza whispered to the group. Everyone nodded, and she started speaking again, "Alright, this will be easy. First, I want all of us to surround them in a circ - "

" _Fire Dragon: Iron Fist!"_

"Idiot!" Gray hissed, charging after the Fire Dragon Slayer and into battle, " _Ice Make: Lance!_.

Erza sighed heavily, requipping into a skimpy appearing black armor, "I should've known it was pointless to try and form a plan. Let's go, Lucy."

"Right!" She replied, running out from their cover to join the fray. There were thirty or forty bandits, but she could tell their magic power was relatively low. Natsu had already knocked out ten of them, and Gray and Erza each had a handful. Lucy grabbed her whip, cracking it towards the first unoccupied person she saw. It easily tripped the weak mage and sent him to the floor, but another four replaced him, their eyes set on her. Though she wasn't afraid, she felt uncomfortable. As if someone else was watching her.

She lashed at one with her whip as he approached her, and though it met with his side, he still managed to keep moving. His dirty hands snatched her wrist while she attempted to rewind her whip, and she let out a sharp cry as he started to bend her arm. Lucy used her other hand to quickly reach into her key pouch.

" _Open, Gate of the Scorpion! Scorpio!"_

"We are! Yeaaah! Les' go!" In a flash, her friend was at her aid, eliminating the bandits in front of her with a whirlwind of sand, including a few more that tagged along in a feeble attempt to beat them. It took mere minutes. Once they were gone, Lucy looked to her comrades. Erza was threatening the last one standing with a sword too close to his throat. He fainted from terror. The rest of the bandits had either fled or were unconscious on the ground.

Lucy smiled at her spirit, "Thanks, Scorpio. That's all I need for now; you can go!"

"Alright!" He cheered, "We are! See you later, Lucy!" As quick as he had materialized, he was gone. Instantly, the blonde dropped her cheery exterior. Her Celestial spirits were the only thing in her life that felt familiar to her at all, and she was always sad to see them leave.

Clearing her head of negative thoughts, Lucy made her way to the dirt hut. The rest of the team was gathered there, "Is anyone seriously hurt?" Erza asked.

Everybody shook their heads, though Gray sported a shallow cut just below the Fairy Tail mark on his chest, "Good. Let's investigate this campsite. Make sure this is the only group we have to worry about."

"Aye!" Happy cried, from the top of Natsu's head.

"Gray, Natsu, each of you take half of the tents. Lucy, come with me and let's investigate the house." Erza commanded.

"Right," She responded, but not before looking over at Natsu. Lucy nearly jumped when she caught him staring right back at her, heart beating erratically in her ears. Gray and Erza had already started moving, leaving the three of them together for a brief moment. Lucy's eyes narrowed in concern at his worried look, "Are you hurt?"

"No," He replied softly, "Are you?" Natsu's hand reached out and gently grabbed her forearm, moving it between them.

Lucy's gaze dropped from his, noticing the bruise already forming on her wrist, "It-It's fine. Doesn't even hurt."

His intense look didn't fade right away, and she shivered. It took a few more seconds for him to finally grin, "Okay then! Just makin' sure! Be careful, alright?"

Before she could even respond, he took off into one of the nearby tents. She stared, dumbfounded at the entrance of the tent. … _What was that?_ And then, the connection clicked in her head. She was about to follow after him to question him, but Erza's sharp tone demanded her attention.

Running into the hut, gasping for breath, and reeling from her realization, Lucy asked, "What is it, Erza?"

"Look through these files," She responded, handing her a folder.

Lucy obliged, opening the folder and leafing through it. It was full of backgrounds on each of the members of the bandit group. However, all of them were listed as 'entry men', excluding the last file. His was listed as 'branch leader - Western Forest'. She narrowed her eyes in confusion. Branch leader? That had to mean there was more than one branch. Opening her mouth to inform Erza, she hesitated, noticing some scribbling on the back of the folder.

 _Mountains east of Heartfilia-Kozern. HQ._

 _Remains of Rosemary Village. B1._

 _Locations…_ Lucy thought. Heartfilia was her last name. Was it also a place? A city of sorts? Maybe she was born there? Rosemary Village didn't sound familiar at all, though. If it was listed as a place in 'remains', it couldn't be good news. Perhaps her comrades would know more.

"Hey, Erza."

"What did you find, Lucy?"

The Celestial mage passed her the folder, "There doesn't seem to be a listed gang leader, other than the branch leader, and in the back of the file, there's two listed locations."

"I see. All I've found is a record of what they've stolen, but none of it seems to be worth much money. They appear to be gathering magical items for study, or practice, perhaps." The Titania reported.

"Hey, Lucy, Erza," Gray muttered, walking in the front door with Natsu and Happy close behind, "We didn't find much of anything, but they all had the same mark on their body.

"Guild marks." Natsu confirmed.

"Interesting," Erza said, "I have reason to conclude we are dealing with a dark guild here. This unit seems to be a newer and relatively smaller branch."

Lucy's lips tightened, and Natsu spoke up, "Oh, good, because I'm ready for a better fight! Let's go take 'em out!"

Gray shot him a demeaning glance as the fire breather smashed his fist into his palm, "Not so fast. We should collect our reward first, then head out."

Erza shook her head, "Having more cargo will weigh us down, and the sooner we take out the dark guild the better."

Happy flew over to Lucy, landing on her head and whispering, "She's one to talk about having too much luggage."

The blonde stifled a giggle, but spoke up, "Erza's right. As much as I'd love to stay the night in the village, we should get moving now."

"We're all agreed, then?" The requip mage asked.

"You didn't even put it to a vote!" Natsu protested loudly.

" _We're all agreed, then?_ " She asked again, slower and more pointedly. One of her oh so famous glares ignited her face as she stared down Natsu with her dark brown eyes.

"Yup, yup, yup, yes we are!" He squealed.

She shrank back again, "Good, let's go. We've got a little bit of time to get going before we'll stop for camp."

The three remaining mages watched her leave the hut silently. With quick glances to each other, they shrugged before following her out.

They all knew the consequences of arguing.

* * *

Natsu leaned against a tree across from the campfire, sighing heavily. He hated being on watch. He just wanted to catch some z's with Happy, and maybe Lucy. But no, he had to be assigned after Lucy, interrupting his resting so that the holder mage could get some rest. It was nice being alone with her, though, if only for a second.

But now, he was bored, and had no idea how much time had passed. He practiced fire tricks with his fingers and hands, spelling out different words and juggling the red hot flames. It became tedious after a while, but there wasn't much else for him to do. His hand reached out to stroke Happy, who was sleeping peaceful by his side.

His thoughts started making their way towards Lucy again. He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking of the previous month. He missed being able to sneak into her apartment, sleeping in her bed and training there with Happy. He missed going on those jobs with just her, even though he didn't realize how much he looked forward to them at the time. And when he'd almost lost her… he'd almost lost himself, honestly. The Dragon Slayer never noticed when Lucy transitioned from being one of his best friends to being his main source of happiness. But it had happened, whether he liked it or not.

And now, here he was, with her back. Even though she may have forgotten him, and their time together, it was still his Lucy. Other than not breaking into her apartment, he still acted like it was her. His guildmates continued to look at him with pity. They thought that she would never regain her memories, but he knew she would. They didn't see the way her eyes glistened when she first summoned Plue again. She knew who Plue was. Maybe she lost some of the details, but she knew. Whenever her spirits were around, she always got that look on her face.

There were flashes of her sometimes, too. Like when she insulted Happy, or yelled at Gray to put his shirt back on _for the thirteenth time in an hour_. Lucy was still there. She just needed some time to break out again.

"Natsu?" A small voice distracted him from his thoughts.

He looked up curiously, a smile immediately taking over his features. _Speak of the devil,_ "Hey, Luce. What's up?"

Lucy shifted in place, her feet crunching against leaves on the ground, "I can't sleep. Would you mind if I…?"

He nodded his head, "Sure, just watch out for Happy."

She took the few steps to reach his side, sitting down next to him, "Thank you."

"No problem. Anything in particular keeping you up?"

Lucy sighed, exhaling slowly, "No, just thinking. I haven't slept well since… well, for as long as I can remember."

Natsu chuckled, and she shot him a small glare, "Sorry, sorry!" He mumbled, even though he wasn't, "What are you thinking about?"

"A lot of stuff," She grumbled, "Different things keep popping up in my head and I can't really tell if they're figments of memory or of my imagination."

"Well then, just ask me!" When Lucy looked more confused than relieved, he explained, "You and I were best friends, so I can tell what's true and what's false!"

The blonde hesitated, but nodded her head eventually, "Alright… Do I have a twin? Erza and Gray told me I was an only child, but I have this feeling that I met someone who looked exactly like me once."

Natsu cringed. Not the best memory, "No, but one time, you from the future came for a visit. We called her Future Lucy," She looked perplexed and doubtful, "It's a really long story, but I promise, you don't have a twin."

Lucy hummed thoughtfully, "Alright, I guess… Maybe I'll ask Elfman to tell me about it when we get back. He's my favorite person to hear stories from," Before the Dragon Slayer could reply, she spoke again, "And about my spirit, Leo the Lion… is he… was he a human at some point?"

"Yeah, sorta!" Natsu replied, cheering internally at all the things she seemed to be catching wind of, "You see, he was actually a member of Fairy Tail. Still is, in my book."

A smile broke on Lucy's face, filling Natsu with a huge warmth, "Would you mind telling me about him?"

"Sure thing!" He said with a fanged grin before delving into the story.

…

…

…

They progressed through a few more topics, Lucy asking about all sorts of different things, from her favorite food to why she turned invisible once. They'd sat in comfortable silence the past few minutes, Natsu's eyes never leaving her for more than a few seconds to double check that nobody was invading their small campsite. It was when the silence ended that left Natsu at a loss for words.

"You love me, don't you?"

"Huh - what?" The Dragon Slayer asked, feeling the blood pool in his cheeks. He snapped his neck to look back her, eyes serious. He felt like Gajeel had just slammed him in the stomach with an Iron Club.

Lucy tilted her head to the side, "I thought Dragon Slayer's had superior senses. _Including_ superior hearing." She looked cross.

"Uh, yeah, that-that's true…" Natsu shifted his vision to the ground, watching an ant crawl through the dirt between his legs.

"Alright. So answer my question."

Natsu cleared his throat quickly, faking a cough and turning his gaze back to her, "Uh, yeah, Luce, of course I do! You're a guild mate, my best friend! Of course I - "

"You know what I meant!" She huffed, glaring daggers at him. _There she is again._ He thought to himself, "Don't beat around the bush. You love me, don't you?"

Natsu opened his mouth to protest, but stopped short at the look in her eyes. It was dangerous, angry, but a little fear laced into them. He exhaled slowly, building up the courage to speak the words he knew to be true, "I do."

Lucy stared at him a moment longer before sighing and leaning against the tree, "I figured."

"What gave it away?"

She giggled softly, "A few things. But mostly the way you look at me, I guess," Her eyes closed shut, "Why were you so reluctant to tell me?"

"I haven't told you before now. It's not a thing that you would recall eventually," He remained quiet for a moment, processing everything that had just happened, "But you don't remember me. So it doesn't matter."

Lucy looked to him one last time, sorrow in her eyes before resting her head against the bark again. She didn't respond. After a few moments, Natsu heard her breathing level out and become nearly silent. The starry mage had fallen asleep.

 _Selfish,_ he thought, letting his anger consume him. He shouldn't have admitted he loved her, even though she'd asked. It would only complicate things and probably end up hurting her. Natsu didn't want to pressure Lucy into loving him, not when he didn't think the feeling was ever mutual. He growled, running a hand through his hair and tugging at the pink locks.

"Hmmm…" Lucy murmured next to him. He glanced down as she slid from the trunk and rested her head on his shoulder. He hadn't realized when they had gotten so close. Her cool body was now so close to his that they were touching at the thighs, the hips, the shoulders. With her snoozing on him like this, he didn't want to move. Her skin was so soft, and she was resting. Hadn't she said she wasn't sleeping well?

"Natsu!" Came Gray's soft call. The Dragon Slayer looked over to him, putting a finger to his lips and pointing at Lucy. Gray nodded in understanding, "I'm s'posed to take over for watch."

Natsu nodded, keeping his eyes on Gray. He jerked his head to the side, and Gray rolled his eyes, "Alright, flame brain, I'll watch from the other side of camp," He started walking away, but muttered softly, "You're not the only one who wants to see her happy and protect her, you know."

Natsu didn't have to reply, watching as the ice mage made a small chair for himself to sit on while he kept an eye on the campsite. Seeing that everything was in order, the fire Dragon Slayer finally let his exhaustion consume him. He was asleep before his eyes even closed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Sorry for the longer wait! I had a difficult time trying to write this chapter. It's mostly filler, and I think I may have written the action a little too fast. As a side note, this week is really busy for me, so I might not update for another week or so. Please leave a review, it's very helpful for me to see what you did and didn't like! Thanks!**

"I drool ice."

"Not real." Erza replied.

"Oh. Gray does?"

"So real." Natsu grinned.

" _What?! No, I don't!"_

"You did all the time when we were children."

" _That's when we were kids!"_

The day progressed like this. Lucy continuously asking questions about the past, the rest of the team answering them as they made their way to Rosemary Village. It wouldn't be more than a few hours from where they had left off, but the team had decided to stop a good distance away from the village to rest up and get their strength back. While they had traveled, Lucy asked them questions about different memories that surfaced in her mind.

"Am I really into clocks?"

Gray stiffened, as did the rest of the group. "No. You did morph with the Infinity Clock, though."

"Infinity Clock?" Lucy asked.

"Yes," Erza replied. She and Gray usually took to explaining the things that seemed like big, uncomfortable events, "It was a deadly and formidable clock that released a terrible magic called Real Nightmare. You, as a powerful Celestial Mage, were needed to give it energy. You had been completely absorbed by it, but we managed to save you, as well as Earthland, with the help of Blue Pegasus." The Requip mage's eyes drifted towards Natsu, who was staring intently at Lucy. His eyes were dark, and she could tell it was not a good memory for him.

There were many times that he had almost lost Lucy. However, the time the Infinity Clock and the Reborn Oración Seis had nearly taken her life was the most cutting. Yes, Future Lucy had died right in front of his eyes, but that was _Future_ Lucy. It had been devastating, true, and he wanted nothing but revenge for her, but she wasn't _his_ Lucy. And she had been just as horrified as Natsu, maybe even more so. She was right there with him, mortified at the loss. But never before had he almost lost her _completely._ And because he wasn't strong enough, he'd thought he'd watch her disappear forever.

The thought of losing Lucy made him shudder, as it always did. The worst part of it was that he knew exactly what would happen to him. Natsu would go on a complete rampage. He'd tear apart buildings and towns and forests, if only to make everyone feel the pain and sorrow he felt. It'd probably take the whole guild beating him up to calm him from his rage. After that, he'd leave. Spend the rest of his days searching for Igneel, searching for her. Searching for people he wont find.

He wouldn't leave the guild, no, Natsu would never quit being a member of Fairy Tail. He'd just take the longest, furthest solo jobs that were posted. He'd become scarce, never staying in the guild hall for more than a day or two. He'd become the strongest fighter in all of Fiore, but he would never be strong enough to bring her back.

"Hey, Natsu, come on!" Lucy called. The Dragon Slayer finally looked down from the morning sky he hadn't realized he'd been staring at, seeing his best friend in front of him with a brilliant smile, "You're lagging behind. And you look like such a wet blanket."

"A wet what?" He asked, unable to resist his spirits lifting as the blonde grabbed his hand and tugged him along and back to the group.

Lucy giggled, "A wet blanket. You know, when you've got a rain cloud over your head? Being really mopey. What's got you down, anyways?"

Natsu flashed her a fanged grin, dashing in front of her and making her yelp as _he_ started pulling _her_ , "I'm thinkin' about how hungry I am! Do we have any food left over?"

"I don't know!" Lucy said, laughing now as she ran alongside him. With how happy she looked, Natsu wondered if this was all it would take to make her smile. She'd been so down since she'd woken up, it was rare to see such a genuine smile. It reminded him of their first meeting in Hargeon. He could do this every day if she needed. It wouldn't be hard, since he needed it, too.

He must've been wrapped up in his depressing thoughts for a while, because it took almost a minute for them to catch up with Erza, Gray, and Happy, "There you are, Natsu. We just finished making camp." Stern as ever, Erza said.

"Yeah, thanks for nothing, flame brain." Gray snorted, turning his head to the side to glare at Natsu.

"Hey, it's not my fault you left me behind, ice princess!"

"It _is_ your fault for getting distracted, ash face!"

"Maybe if you didn't go so slow, I wouldn't've had the time to get distra - "

" _Are you two bickering again?_ " Erza snarled, turning to glare at the increasingly shrinking boys.

They immediately slapped their arms around each other, "No, not at all, Erza!" They said in unison, voices pitched a little too high.

"Of course you weren't." She replied, turning back to a map she had sitting on one of her large crates.

Lucy looked rather uncomfortable, "Does she always do this?"

"Oh, yup." Gray replied, wiping the Natsu germs off of his bare chest.

"Uh…" She said, turning away to give him privacy, "It really is a habit, isn't it?"

"Aye!" Happy's voice was as chipper as ever.

The ice mage's confusion showed as he glanced around the group, "What is it?"

" _Your shirt, you dumb stripper!"_ Lucy practically screeched while Natsu howled with laughter.

" _Gah! That's the third time since we made camp!"_

"Enough fooling around, you four," Erza called, bringing their attention to her, "We need to gather sustenance and intelligence. Gray and I will go scout around the village and find a way to infiltrate it during the night. Lucy, Natsu, and Happy, I want you three to look for food and water. I imagine there should be a river close to the village, and if these low life bandits can live off the land, then so can we we. Any questions?"

When nobody raised one, Erza nodded, stepping past Gray to exit the camp. She stopped once she reached Lucy, turning her sharp gaze to her. Her armored hand clamped her shoulder, rough and almost painful, "I know you don't need me to tell you… but please. Stay safe."

The Celestial mage swallowed the fear down and dipped her head, "Are you going to be okay going to the village? It is your hometown…"

Lucy almost regretted the words when Erza gave her a sad smile, "No, it isn't. It hasn't been for some time."

Without another word, Erza left camp with Gray close behind. Lucy stared at the spot they had left. She knew Gray would be there to support her, should the brave warrior need it. A piercing yell made her flinch. She swiveled quickly, just as Natsu's feet left the ground, "Happy! To the sky! Let's find that river!"

"Aye, sir!" The blue Exceed cried. They were out of sight within seconds, the tree tops being fairly high. Lucy huffed before she started her own venture in the forest.

It was rather uneventful. She'd brought along her sleeping mat's bag to carry the fruit she foraged. in. The pocket knife key Gray had given her was held in her hand, slashing every few trees to make sure she could find her way back. Now, she was picking clean a strawberry bush. Lucy had been lucky to find one here, especially considering how rare they were. And if she remembered correctly (maybe), Erza's favorite food was strawberry shortcake… or something like that.

The Requip mage frustrated Lucy. The blonde could tell that Erza thought of her as a little sister, a close friend. But ever since Lucy had woken up, the scarlet haired mage had been nothing but coldly clinical, only occasionally giving her a smile. It pained her to look at Erza, and it was irritating beyond belief. She knew it must be hard to lose a friend, but Lucy was still here. She was still the same person, no matter who thought differently. Even if it was herself.

Lucy cheered in relief as a strawberry finally worked itself free from the vine. She tossed it into the bag with ease. Her thoughts drifted to her favorite ice mage as her hands blindly continued their work. Gray was the one who was most open and upfront with her. He had been running a lot of interference between her and the guild, and Lucy found herself hanging out with him more than anybody else (much to Juvia's dismay). She was completely comfortable with him, and it was mostly due to the conversation they had a week after she woke up.

 _The ice mage had pulled her to the side of the guild, away from the rambunctious hall. His skin was as cold as his magic, and she had to rub the warmth back into her arm once he let go, "Sorry for uprooting you. You seemed nervous out there."_

" _Everyone's watching me," Lucy replied, grimacing at the crowd, "Maybe not on purpose, but I can feel it. Even in the air. Everybody's so sad, but nobody looks me in the eye with anything but a smile on their face." She kicked at the wall Gray was leaning on._

" _Well, you shouldn't be surprised," He responded._

 _This made her head jerk up to look at him, "How so?"_

 _He shrugged nonchalantly, "They're all idiots."_

" _That may be, that doesn't explain why I should just accept it."_

" _You don't have to accept it. You don't have to accept anything. They're the fools who have to get over it," He started, "You see, they're acting like you died. The guild was kind of like this when we thought Lisanna had passed away, too. Everyone made sure to smile at each other, but inside, they were hurting. But you're still here. You're alive, and you're healthy. Yeah, it's upsetting that you don't have your memories. We'll just have to wait for them to come back, and fill you in on everything until they do. Everyone in the guild just needs to get over themselves."_

 _She tilted her head to the side to consider him and his words. He was right; her nakama were treating her as if she had died and was a ghost walking among them. Even though nothing had changed, and she could still feel the heaviness in the air, it did make her feel better. Lucy looked back at Gray, "Are you in pain like them as well?"_

 _He smirked at her, his cool eyes grazing her face, "I've known loss, Lucy. We all have. It's just a matter of recognizing that this isn't that. Like I said, I'm upset, but it's nothing to pity you over. You've always been strong, and you're stronger than this."_

Lucy smiled contentedly at the memory. That was the first and only time somebody had called her strong. Everyone else in the guild had been trying to protect her, whether through actions or words. But she knew Gray was right. She could feel it in her soul, and when she summoned her spirits. She was more powerful than the sad looks she received.

Her hand reached out to pluck another strawberry when a fist crashed into her face, sending her flat on the ground, "Hey!" She snarled, sitting up and quickly rubbing her cheek. Stunned, confused, and angry, Lucy blinked the stars out of her eyes to find her assailant.

She wasn't thrilled when she looked up. A man loomed over her, spear in hand. He had a hay colored tank top on, along with black pants that were much too tight. His arms pale skin practically shone on it's own, making her squint her eyes at the reflected light. Before she could move, he pulled his shiny arm around her throat, grabbing his left wrist with his right hand. He was sweaty and smelled like the Dumpster outside of Fairy Tail, "Give me your money. Now!" His voice was smooth and silky, despite his demanding tone.

Lucy frowned, turning her head towards him. Spitting in his eyes and hitting him in the groin simultaneously, she made him cry out and take a few steps away from her. Almost smiling at the thought of testing out her fighting skills in a real battle, she taunted him, "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to mess with Fairy Tail?" At this, she reached for her key pouch, grabbing a key she hadn't used in a while, " _Open, Gate of the Ram! Aries!"_

"I'm sorry!"

" _Fire Dragon: Iron Fist!"_

Lucy couldn't even tell Aries not to be sorry when the would-be thief was slammed into the ground in a blaze of fire. Aries was quicker than her, though, protecting her master in a comfortable wool shell. Lucy watched the smoke settle, horrified to see the burnt strawberry bush. She flailed her way out of the wool, examining the plant carefully. It had burnt to a crisp. With a heavy sigh, Lucy stood up, seeing Natsu still in Happy's hands, hovering mid air, "Aren't you gonna say 'thanks'?" He asked with a cheek grin.

Folding her arms and growling, Lucy shook her head, "I could've taken care of it. Without destroying a perfectly good source of food."

He scratched the back of his head when her anger didn't let up, "Sorry, Luce. I was flying over you and I couldn't leave you to fight alone."

"Well, since you see such a need to interfere, _you_ take him back into town and to the guards! I'm going to find some more food."

Without even giving him a second look, she stormed off, despite Aries' soft voice protesting. _It's just like Gray said,_ Lucy thought to herself, _Everyone in Fairy Tail pities me._


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: so sorry for the long wait! I've been busy trying to get another job, and then my apartment complex caught fire and burnt down, so things have been kind of a drag, and I lost motivation for this story. But someone followed recently, so that brought it back! Thank you!**

 **I completed the anime and the manga, now, and decided there's going to be a companion piece later on! It won't change the plot of this story at all, other than removing a chapter of explaining and turning it into another, longer fanfic.**

 **I won't start the companion piece until Myosotidium is complete, and it won't be necessary to read one to get a full understanding of the other.**

 **Also, I'm going to adapt their personalities a bit more to their current ones, just for my own sake.**

 **NOTE: I won't have internet at my new place until the 21st of January, so I'm going to try to write a few chapters while I'm offline.**

 **Anyways! Here ya go! Read and review please:**

It had been a few hours since she had last seen Natsu. He had periodically stopped at the camp to drop off the food he gathered, but didn't say anything. Lucy was glad. She wanted to stay angry at him for a while, having few other emotions to cling to. She kept tugging at her jacket, refusing to go near the fire he'd made despite how cold she was.

Gray and Erza returned just before the sky began to dip below the horizon. Once they'd heard what happened, Gray left to look for Natsu, leaving Lucy with the intimidating requip mage.

"How did the scouting go?" Lucy asked tentatively, breaking the silence following Gray's footsteps.

Erza's sigh sounded softly over the fire as she paused in her digging through the food, "It was fine. We found the base, but the memories the village dragged up were… not the most pleasant." Her tone was terse, politely directing Lucy away from questioning her further.

"I'm glad you found the base," Lucy smiled softly. She stood, walking over to Erza. The redhead looked a bit surprised as Lucy dug through her backpack, pulling out the bundle of strawberries she had, "Here, these are your favorite, right? Natsu destroyed the bush, so I couldn't get a lot."

Her smile seemed to give off more light than the campfire, "Yes! I love strawberries, though I prefer them in cake." She took the sweet fruit, immediately shoving a couple of them in her mouth, "They're so refreshing!" If Lucy didn't know better, she would've thought Erza had squealed.

"I'm glad you like them," Lucy's grin matched Erza's and she munched on the blackberries Natsu had foraged, "So, what's the plan for tonight?"

"Same as last time." Gray said, his sudden presence making Lucy jump with surprise. However, Natsu's loud footsteps weren't nearly as silent; he and Happy crashed into the campground, arms full of wood for the fire.

Erza nodded stiffly, swallowing a mouthful of food, "I wouldn't call that a plan," She said, glaring at Natsu, "But yes. I'm confident in all of our abilities to directly attack this branch. We've taken on fights much harder than this, and I shouldn't have doubted our abilities."

Lucy shook her head, "That sounds good. Should we head out now? I'm sure they know we're coming."

Natsu pounded his fist into his palm, "Yeah, that's great! It'll work up my appetite!" He grinned towards her, but she pointedly looked away.

Gray shrugged, "I'm good to go now."

Erza murmured her assent, gathering her bag and putting out the fire.

A hand on her shoulder made her flinch. Lucy turned to look, seeing Natsu gazing into her eyes with concern, "Hey, are you still -"

The celestial mage jerked away from him, her eyes and voice venomous, "Just focus on the mission and leave me alone."

The hurt in his eyes almost made her immediately regret her actions, but her rage refused to let her feel anything else. She turned, leading towards Rosemary Village. Through gritted teeth she hissed, "Let's go. The sooner we get home, the better." Lucy heard Gray start arguing with the dragon slayer, but she wouldn't turn around. She might hate herself for it later, but right now she didn't care.

* * *

The battle wasn't going as well as she had thought. They had gotten separated from Erza and Gray, much to her dismay. They must have been fighting the majority of this branch's troops. Not only did this division of the guild have more soldiers, they'd also picked up the men who had retreated from the other branch. Natsu was wrapped up in a fight with an ugly, purple man who had shocking blond hair.

Lucy was engaged with a lanky, pale man who wore black lipstick. He didn't show any emotion, didn't speak to her at all. He only muttered under his breath, about destroying precious things and happiness. Leo was fighting him, but his bright light was being mimicked by the man she was fighting. He was an agile fighter, and Leo had apparently met him before.

He was quick, but so was Lucy, "Why won't you just _lose_ already?!" She hissed, her whip cracking on his arm, which was reciprocated by a punch to her side. Leo retaliated immediately, but this man was too quick. Lucy snarled, kicking her foot out and managing to trip their enemy, "Leo, now!" Lucy cried.

"Sure thing, beautiful!" He replied, fingers charging with power. Just as he pulled his fist back for a punch, Lucy saw the enemy grip her ankle, his palm burning against her skin. Before she could even cry out in pain, a flaming kick sent the man flying, Leo stumbling as he swung full force into empty air.

"Natsu, what the hell?!" Both of them hissed at the same time.

He turned to her, anger distorting his features. The dragon slayer opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught as his eyes went wide and he lurched. Suddenly, a huge force sent Lucy to the ground, needles pricking into the skin of her back. She gritted her teeth, biting back a scream of pain as she turned to look at her attacker, "Hey, gorgeous." He said, breath stinking as if it hadn't been brushed in years. She was once again saved, but this time by a club of iron.

"Gajeel!" Lucy cried as the iron dragon slayer made quick work of their weakened enemies. He quickly chained them up, and Lucy allowed herself to relax. Her friends, though, not so much.

"What's your problem, Natsu?!" Her spirit hissed, punching the offending man in the shoulder, "You've been doing this for too long, she isn't a child!"

"I know!"

"No, you don't!" Leo yelled, shoving him hard. Natsu didn't resist, "If you did, you wouldn't be staring at her every minute, interrupting every single fight she's gotten in since she woke up?! You think you're the only one worried about her?! _You're_ the reason she got hurt like this; it's _your fault!_ "

"No, L-Lucy, I'm sor - "

She crossed her arms, turning away from here, "Save it for somebody who cares. I'm tired of you treating me like I can't take care of myself! I'm an adult!" Lucy stalked over to him, finger jamming into his chest. She trembled with her anger, and maybe the amazing pain in her back. She barely recognized it through her rage, "Why can't you just let me be? I was _just_ about to forgive you for last time, and then you go and do this again! Why can't you leave me alone?! Why are you doing this?"

Her trembling fingers betrayed the anger in her voice. She could hear his mouth open, but Gajeel's voice interrupted him, "As much as I'd love to listen to your lover's spat, we don't have the time."

Lucy's head jerked to him, anger going with it. But the dead, anguished look in his eyes had even her pausing, "Oh. What are you doing here, anyways?"

His fists clenched tightly, and her eyes widened as his eyes met hers straight on.

"Levy's gone missing."

A/N: Sorry it's so short! Like I said, I have limited internet, and wanted to get a chapter out. More to come!


End file.
